Sintering apparatus



Oct. 9, 1945. GELBMAN SINTERING APPARATUS Filed March 27, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet l R K m m MM 0 B T L T m; n 6/1.. b u o L OCt. 9, 1945. GELBMAN SINTERING APPARATUS Filed March 27', 1944 r 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Hanna INVENTOR Lou/s emmmv BY HTTDRNL-Y,

Oct. 9, 1945. GELBMAN SINTERING APPARATUS Filed March 27, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VEN TOR. Lou/s ELfi/MN Patented Oct. 9, 1945 unirro srar s PATENT OFFICE 2,386,393 'SINTERING APPARATUS Louis Gelbman, Yonkers, N. Y. Application Meat 27, 1944, Serial No. 528,253

16 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in sintering apparatus, and particularly relates to an apparatus for sintering the residue from burning pulverized coal in furnaces,

to produce a lightweight concrete aggregate. The

particles, and resembles small glass pebbles, marbles, strands of glassand other black glassy formations.

At the present time it costs money to dispose of the residue described above. If the furnaces are near the sea it is usually taken out and dumped. Other plants are forced to cart this material to dumping grounds. This invention proposes a sintering apparatus for carrying out a process for converting the residue mentioned above into a lightweight aggregate which may then be used as an aggregate for lightweight concrete.

More particularly, the invention proposes a sintering apparatus which is exceptionally small and compact so that it may be economically installed near power plants or other places using pulverized coal furnaces. In order for the apparatus to be a success it must be capable of efiiciently sintering large quantities of the residue of pulverized coal furnaces, and produce an aggregate which is cheap enough to compete with other available aggregates in the district. The improved apparatus must necessarily be compact, otherwise it is not suitable in metropolitan areas near power plants.

Heretofore, any number of sintering apparatus have been known and used, particularly in steel producing centers. However, these prior sintering apparatus have been very large and bulky in order to accommodate heavy iron and other ores. This was no objection in a steel'plant area to discharge the clinkers. An operation of this type requires a great deal of space. This invention proposes to characterize the new sinteri-ng apparatus by a stationary grate which does not need to, and can-not, be dumped. It is proposed to provide a construction and an arrangement whereby the sinter cakes may be pushed off, or similarly ejected from the grate.

The invention also proposes to characterize the sintering apparatus by the fact that it is composed of a series of furnace units, preferably arranged in groups, and each of which includes a sintering pan provided with a grate and preferably divided into a plurality of sections. An air draft system is associated with each of the units for forming a down draft furnace. It is proposed to provide means for depositing sintering charges into each of said units. An ignition hood is provided for covering each of the units, and said hood is provided with torch means or burners for igniting the charges so that they may burnand sinter into cake form.

The invention also proposes a conveyor system associated with the series of furnace units so that sition preferably by being dropped upon the conveyor so as to prevent clouds of dust from the residue which did not adhere to the sinter cakes,

from floating around in the atmosphere. It would be highly objectionable if the sintering apparatus produced dust and dirt in its vicinity.

The invention proposes to so construct and arrange the series of furnace units that additional units, or groups of units, may easily be added when itis desired to increase the capacity of the sintering apparatus.

The invention also proposes to arrange a series of said units along both sides of the conveyor system so as to decrease the necessary length of the conveyor system for handling a certain volume of sinter cakes.

Still further the invention proposes to characterize the means for ejecting the sinter cakes from the grates by the fact that each furnace unit or sections of the furnace unitare provided with side walls which may be moved to open positions. Preferably-it is proposed to hingedly mount said side walls at their tops to swing open like gates. It is also contemplated to provide means for pushing said sinter cakes through said open sides of said furnace units or sections thereof to a position to engage upon said conveyor.

Still further the invention proposes to characterize the means for opening said side walls of each furnace unit by the fact that ejection of the sinter cakes directly. or indirectly opens said side walls. v Q

It is also proposed to characterize the means for. pushing each sinter cake through said open side walls by an air piston mechanism. Certain' valves are proposed for controlling the delivery of air to each air piston mechanism for eiectin the sinter cakes through said side walls.

For convenience and ease in carrying out the sintering process it is proposed that each furnace unit be relatively small, for example of a size to produce a sinter cake approximately 2 ft. x ft. The apparatus will be much smaller in bulk and easier to operate and handle if the sinter cakes are not too large. It is then also easier to crush the sinter cakes and grade the sinters if the sinter cakes are not too large.

The invention also proposes that one ignition head he used for a group or series of the furnace units. Similarly, it isproposed that one charging head be used for a series or group of furnace units. i

A novel construction is also proposed for keeping the grates clean.

For further comprehension of theinvention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure Fig. l is a floor plan view of a sintering apparatus constructed in accordance'with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 isa fragmentary enlarged detail view of a portion of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary verticalsectional view taken on. the line 55 of Fig. 4, but illustrated with the conveyor removed.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of Fig. 4.

Fig-7 is a fragmentary enlarged detailed View of a portion of Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken on the line 88 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional View of the valve shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 10 is a vertical sectional view of one of the cylinders shown in Figs. 4 and 6.

,The sintering apparatus, according to this invention, includes a series of furnace units l0 provided with grates [2 for receiving sintering charges. In the particular design disclosed on the drawings each furnace unit is divided into four sections as hereinafter further described for accommodating four charges to produce four sinter cakes. A chute-like hopper and wind box I 3 connects with the bottom of each furnace unit ID for conveying away the residue fallin through the grates l2. An air draft system is provided for each group of furnace units In and is characterized by suction lines M connecting with the chute-like hoppers and wind. boxes l3, and con.-

tural members 13 mounted between said membersl8. Each furnace unit I0 is defined by the rectangular space between two of the structural members [9 and the structural members 18. These structural members represent the pan of the furnace unit. Transverse heat resisting members 2| divide the furnace unit into sections. Each furnace unit is shown composed of four sections. The members 18 are protected with heat resisting walls or liners 3'! and 38 located between the members 2 I.

In the particular design of apparatus disclosed there is an endless conveyor 24 for conveying away the sinter cakes and the residue from the furnace units, as will be more fully explained. The series of furnace units ID are arranged along both of the sides of the endless conveyor 24. The chute-like hoppers and wind boxes l3 extend down to discharge on to the endless conveyor 24. Each hopper i3 is provided with a door 25 at its bottom end hingedly supported by the hinge construction 26 at its top. Each door 25 has a bottom weight 28 which acts to normally urge the door into a closed position. The suction action of the suction system, within the hopper and wind box [3 assists in holding the door 25 closed. It should be noted that the bottom reduced end of the hopper and wind box I3 is relatively small, and so is the door 25 so that the suction will have little difficulty in holding same closed.

It is proposed that the residue from the grates l2 collect in the bottom of the hoppers l3, and

whenever necessary the doors 25 may be hinged open so that the hoppers discharge their collection upon the endless conveyor 24. The endless conveyor 24 may be any desired length, and there may be any number of the series of furnace units 10. In the particular design disclosed, for each group of three furnace units it! there is a dust collector bin l6. For each dust collector bin I6 there is a suction fan IT.

A charge car 30 is provided for each line of furnace units ill. These charge cars travel upon tracks 3| which are mounted on the flanges of the longitudinally extending structural members I8. The charge cars .30 may receive sinterin charges from the chutes 32 which are connected up with a belt elevator 33 receiving the charging material from the discharge 34 of a mixer. Each charge car 30 has a discharge chute 35 capable of charging the furnace units H) or the sections thereof individually. Each line of furnace units In is also provided with an ignition hood car 36 which travels on said tracks 3|. The ignition hood car 36 is provided with the necessary ignition means in the nature of burners, etc., for igniting the charges in the furnace units II]. In the particular design disclosed the ignition hood car 36 is capable of extending across one furnace unit It] for igniting the four sections of the unit simultaneously.

Each section of the furnace unit In is associated with means for ejecting the sinter cake off the grate l2. Said means includes an ejector pusher for moving the liner wall 31 across the grate. Each furnace section has its liner wall 38 which is opposed to said liner wall 31, hingedly mounted at its top by the hinges 39. The longitudinal member 18 adjacent the liner walls 38 is formed with a series of Openings 40 through which the liner walls 38 may hinge, as indicated by the dot and dash lines 38 in Fig. 4. 'The bottom edges of the liner walls-38 are forme with bevels 4| engaging complementary bevels upon the adjacent edge of the grate l2; Each liner wall 38 is provided with a weight 42 for normally urgin-git into a closed position. The suction of the draft system will also tend to hold each liner wall 38 in its closed position.

Each ejector pusher is connected with means for moving said liner wall 31 across the grate 12 to push the sinter cake against said liner wall 38, which is really in the nature of a swinging gate which may swing open when the sinter cake engages against it. In thi way the sinter cake may be pushed out by the liner wall 3'! so that it falls through the opening 48 and falls down upon the conveyor 24. The mean for moving the liner wall 31 includes an air cylinder 43 for each liner wall 31. These cylinders 43 are stationarily mounted to one side of the furnace units. Each cylinder 43 is provided with a piston 44 connected with a piston rod 45. Each piston rod 45 extends 'out from the end of the cylinder and connects with a liner wall 31.

Each liner wall 31 has a removable plate section 46 which is mounted upon a reduced; end of the piston rod 45. The endsof each cylinder 43 are provided with air lines 41 and 48 which connect up with a control valve 49 receiving a supply of air from a supply line i). Each valve 49 i provided with a turnable valve head 5! which in one position connects the air supply from the line 50 to the pipe 48, and which in its other position will connect the air linelill with the pipe 41!. The valve 49 is provided with a vent passage 53 which is connected up by the valve proper 5| with one or the other of the lines 4! and 48 so as to prevent the piston 44 from being air bound. The construction is such that when air enters the line 48 to drive the piston 44 forwards the pipe line 4'! is connected with the vent 53 so that it is not air bound. When the valve 453 is moved to connect the airline 59 with the pipe line 4'! to drive the piston 44- to its rear position, the air line 48 will then be connected with the vent 53 so that the piston 44 is not air bound.

It is proposed that the sintering apparatus be mounted within a shed 54 or other structure, though this is not essential.

Each suction line I4 is controlled with a valve 55. The atmosphere above the conveyor 2 is boxed up so that clouds of dust and dirt do not freely fly around. The boxing up of the conveyor is accomplished by a wall 55 extended across the inner structural members l8 of the two lines of furnace units l5.v There are side wall 51 closing up the sides above the conveyor 24. The walls 55 and 5! confine the conveyor 24. The side walls 57 are continuous from one end of the sintering apparatusto the other. The chute-like hoppers and wind boxes ii! are mounted on these walls 51. These walls 5? have openings which are closed by said doors 25. Any dust and dirt which flies around due to dropping the sinter cakes will be confined by the walls 56 and 51.

The liner walls 31 are provided with fingers 58 which extend downward between bars of grate l2 for sweeping them or raking them to cause small particles of the charges to fall down.

The operation of the device is as follows: 7

The charge cars 39 receive charges of the material to be sintered through the chutes 32. The

charge cars 30 are then moved over the series of furnace units H] to charge the units with the material to be sintered. The charge cars 30 are then moved off the furnace units and the ignition hoods 36 are moved over the units. The air draft is then turned on to a particular unit by opening the control valve 55 of the suction pipe 14 of said particular unit. This produces a strong down draft through the charge on the grate and ignition is effected by flame from burners in the ignition hood. The fuel in the charges will continue to burn as air is supplied by the suction fans producing a clinker as the burning propagates downward. The various groups of'furnace units It) may be charged and fired in succession. When the sinter cakes are completed, the ejector means of each of the sections of the furnace units are set into operation to eject each sinter block individually. To do this the valve 49 of each section ofa furnace unit is operated to cause the piston 44 to move the liner wall 31 forwards. The sinter cake will be forced against the liner wall 38 which then swings out and upwards as indicated by the dot and dash lines 38' inFig l, so that the sinter cake is ejected through the opening 40 and falls down upon the conveyor 24.

The particles which do notadhere to the sinter cake and the particles which are swept off the grates I2 by the fingers 58 of the liner walls 31 will fall down and accumulate in the bottoms of the dust hoppers l3. Periodically, the doors 25 are opened and this material will discharge onto the conveyor 24 and be carried away.

The sinter cakes and the residue will be car: ried to the end of the conveyor where the sinter cakes will enter a suitable crusher to be broken into particles and graded. The unsintered and partially sintered particles forming the fines in the neighborhood of a A2 size resulting from primary crushing are returned'to be mixed in succeeding sinter charges, in accordance with my process of sintering pulverized coal residue as disclosed in my patent application Serial No. 501,337, filed September 4, 1943, and entitled Lightweight concrete aggregate.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all .changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a sintering apparatus, a stationary furnace unit which includes a stationary pan provided with a stationary grate for receiving a sintering charge, an air draft system for said furnace unit, torch means for igniting said charge to burn and sinter into a cake form, and means for ejecting said cake off of said grate, comprising means for movably supporting one side of said pan by which the side of said pan may be opened, and means for moving said cake through said openable side of said pan.

2. In a sintering apparatus, a stationary furnace unit which includes a stationary pan provided with a stationary grate for receiving a sintering charge, an air draft system for said furnace unit, torch means for igniting said charge to burn and sinter into a cake form, and means for moving said cake off of said grate, comprising means for movably supporting one side of said pan by which th'sidc of said pan may be opened, andmeans for moving said cake through said openable side of said pan,

' 3. In a sintering apparatus, a stationary furnace unit which includes a stationary pan provided with a stationary grate for receiving a sinte'ring charge, an air draft system for said furnace unit, torch means for igniting said charge to burn and sinter into a cake form, and said pan having a movable side to open the side of said furnace unit and means for pushing said cake through said openside of said unit.

4. In a sintering apparatus, a stationary furnace unit which includes a stationary pan providedwith a stationary grate for receiving a sintering charge, an air draft system for said furnace unit, torch means for igniting said charge to burn and sinter into a, cake form, said pan having a movable'side to open the side of said furnace unit, means for pushing said cake through said open side of said unit, including air piston means.

5. In a 'sintering apparatus, a stationary furnace unit which includes a stationary pan provided with a grate for receiving a sinter charge, a chute-like'hopper and wind box connecting with the bottom of said furnace unit for conveying away the residue falling through said grate, an air draft system for said furnace unit connected with said wind box, torch means for igniting said charge to burn and sinter into cake form, means for ejecting said cake off of said grate, comprising means for movably supporting one side of said pan by which the side of said pan may be opened, means for moving said cake through said openable side of said pan, and a conveyor unit adjacent the open side of said pan for receiving and for carrying away said sinter cakes, and said chute-like hopper discharging said residue on to said conveyor unit. a

6. In a .sintering apparatus, a stationary furnace unit which includes a stationary pan provided with a grate for receiving a sinter charge, a. chute-like hopper and wind box connecting with the bottom of said furnace unit for conveying away the residue falling through said grate, an air draft system for said furnace unit connected with said wind box, torch means for igniting said charge to burn and sinter into cake form, means for ejecting said cake oif of said grate, comprising means for movably supporting one side of said pan by which the side of said pan may be opened, means for moving said cake through said openable side of said-pan, a conveyor unit adjacent the open side of said pan for receiving and for carrying away said sinter cakes, said chute-likehopper discharging said residue on to said conveyor unit, and a door for normally closing the discharge of said hopper for controlling its discharge.

7. In a sintering apparatus, a stationary furnace unit which includes a stationary pan provided with a grate for receiving a sinter charge, a chute-like hopper and Wind box connecting with the bottom of said furnace unit for conveying away the residue falling through said grate, an air draft system for said furnace unit connected with said wind box, torch means for igniting said charge to burn and sinter into cake form, means for ejecting said cake off of said grate, comprising an ejector wall Within one end of said pan, the other end of said pan having a wall hingedly mounted at the top forming a swinging gate, and means for moving said ejector wall across said grate to push the sinter cake against said gate which then swings open and then the" sinter cake is pushed through the open side of said pan.

3. In a sintering apparatus, a, series of stationary furnace units which include a series of stationary pan units provided with stationary grates for receiving sintering charges, chute-like hoppers connecting withthe bottom of said furnace units for conveying away the residue falling through said grates, an air draft system for said furnace units, torch means for igniting said charge to burn and sinter into cake form, means for ejecting said cakes off said grates, comprising ejector means including walls Within one end of each of said pans, each of said pans having walls opposed to said ejector walls and hingedly mounted at their tops forming swinging gates, and means for moving said ejector walls across said grate to push the sinter cakes against said gates which then swing open and'then the sinter cakes are pushed through the open sides of said pans.

9. In a sintering apparatus, a series of stationary furnace units which include a series of stationary pan units provided with stationary grates for receiving sintering charges, chute-like hoppers connecting with the bottom of said furnace units for conveying away the residue falling through said grates, an air draftsystem for said furnace units, torch means for igniting said charge to burn and sinter into cake form, means for ejecting said cakes off said grates, comprising ejector means including walls within oneend ofeach of said pans, each of said pans having walls opposed to said ejector Walls and hingedly mounted at their tops forming swinging gates, means for moving said ejector walls across said grate to push the sinter cakes against said gates which then swing open and then the sinter cakes are pushed through the open sides. of said pans, said ejector walls having fingers for raking or sweeping said grates.

10. In a sintering apparatus, a series of stationary furnace units which include a series of stationary pan units provided with stationary grates for receiving sintering charges, chute-like hoppers connecting with the bottom of said furnace units for conveying away the residue falling through said grates, an air draft system for said furnace units, torch means for igniting said charge to burn and sinter into cake form, means for ejecting said cakes off said grates, comprising ejector means including walls within one end of each of said pans, each of said pans having walls opposed to said ejector Walls and hingedly mounted at their tops forming swinging gates, and means for moving said ejector walls across said grate to push the sinter cakes against said gates which then swing open and then the sinter cakes are pushed through the open sides of said pans,'said latter means including cylinders, air pistons in said cylinders and means for controlling the actions of said air pistons. I

11. In a sintering' apparatus, a stationar furnace unit which includes a stationary pan provided with a stationary grate for receiving a sintering charge, an air draft system for said furnace unit, torch means for igniting said charge to burn and sinter into a cake form, means for ejecting said cake off of said grate, said pan having a side with openings, walls normally closing said openings and hingedly mountedat their tops so that they may swing outwards like gates, and said means for ejecting said sinter cakes being adapted to push the sinter cakes against said gates to swing them open.

12. In a sintering apparatus, a series of stationary furnace units which include a series of stationary pans provided with grates for receiving sintering charges, a conveyor for carrying away sinter cakes produced by burning said charges, said series of furnace units being arranged along the sides of said conveyor, chutelike hoppers connecting with the bottom of said furnace units for conveying away the residue falling through said grates and for discharging same upon said conveyor, an air draft system for said furnace units, torch means for igniting charges in said furnace units to burn and sinter into cake form, and means for ejecting said cakes off said grates and on to said conveyor.

13. In a sintering apparatus, a series of stationary furnace units which includes a series of stationary pans provided with grates for receiving sintering charges, means in said furnace units to burn and sinter the charges into cake form, said pans comprising spaced longitudinally extending structural members, transverse structural members between said longitudinal members dividing off pan sections, a chute-like hopper connecting the bottom of said sections for conveying away the residue falling through said grates, an air draft system for said furnace units, and means for ejecting said cakes off said grates, comprising ejector means including an ejector wall within one end of each of said pan sections, each of said pan sections having one wall opposed to said wall and being hingedly mounted at the top forming a swinging gate, the adjacent longitudinal member having openings through which said gates may swing, and means for moving said ejector walls across said grates to push the sinter cakes against said gates which then swing open and the sinter cakes are pushed through the open sides of said pans sections.

14. In a sintering apparatus, a series of stationary furnace units which include a series of stationary pans provided with grates for receiving sintering charges, a conveyor for carrying away said sintering charges, said series of furnace units being arranged in groups along the sides of said conveyor, chute-like hoppers and wind boxes connecting with the bottoms of said furnace units for conveying away the residue falling through the grates thereof, and delivering the residue onto said conveyor, torch means for igniting charges in said furnace units to burn and sinter into cake form, means for ejecting said cakes off said grates and on to said conveyor, and an air draft system for said furnace units comprising dust collector boxes for a series of furnace units, a suction fan for each dust collector, and valve controlled suction pipes from said dust collector to said chute-like hoppers and wind boxes, and Walls encasing the atmosphere above said conveyor for confining clouds of dust and smoke which will rise when said sinter cakes drop upon said conveyor.

15. In a sintering apparatus, a series of stationary furnace units which includes a series of stationary pans provided with grates for receiving sintering charges, means in said furnace units to burn and sinter the charges into cake form, said pans comprising spaced longitudinally extending structural members, transverse structural members between said longitudinal members dividing off pan sections, a chute-like hopper connecting the bottom of said sections for conveying away the residue falling through said grates,

an air draft system for said furnace units, and means for ejecting said cakes off said grates comprising ejector means including an ejector wall within one end of each of said pan sections, each of said pan sections having one wall opposed to said wall and being hingedly mounted at the top forming a swinging gate, the adjacent longitudinal member having openings through which said gates may swing, and means for moving said ejector walls across said grates to push the sinter cakes against said gates which then swing open and the sinter cakes are pushed through the open sides of said pan sections, tracks mounted upon said longitudinally extending structuralmembers, said torch means being in the nature of an ignition hood car mounted on said tracks.

16. In a sintering apparatus, a, series of stationary furnace units which includes a series of stationary pans provided with grates for receiving sintering charges, means in said furnace units to burn and sinter the charges into cake form, said pans comprising spaced longitudinally extending structural members, transverse structural members between said longitudinal members dividing off pan sections, a chute-like hopper connecting the bottom of said sections for conveying away the residue falling through said grates, an air draft system for said furnace units, and means for ejecting said cakes off said grates comprising ejector means including an ejector wall within one end of each of said pan sections, each of said pan sections having one wall opposed to said wall and being hingedly mounted at the top forming a swinging gate, the adjacent longitudinal member having openings through which said gates may swing, and means for moving said ejector walls across said grates to push the sinter cakes against said gates which then swing open and the sinter cakes are pushed through the open sides of said pan sections, tracks mounted upon said longitudinally extending structural members, said torch means being in the nature of an ignition hood car mounted on said tracks, and a charging car mounted on said tracks.

LOUIS GELBMAN. 

